The present invention relates to roll holders, and in particular, to an essentially symmetric consumable paper roll holder having a moveable arm that is self-supporting in the opened position.
Replacing a consumable paper roll, such as a toilet paper roll or a paper towel roll, in most cases is a two-hand job that often results in dropping the replacement roll at least once while trying to remove the used roll and insert the new roll.
Many roll holders incorporate a spring-loaded spindle to secure the roll to the holder during use. This too creates difficulties when attempting to compress the spindle to re-seat the spindle into the holder. Cramped quarters and tight clearances make it difficult, even when using two hands, to replace a spent roll. The difficulties and frustrations are exacerbated for those having physical handicaps that reduce the level of fine motor control required to manipulate a multi-piece, spring-loaded holder.
Several attempts have been made to reduce the burden of replacing a depleted roll. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 873,188 describes a roll holder having an offset wall mount that supports both a fixed support arm and a pivoting arm. A spindle extends through the fixed support arm and supports a roll. The free end of the spindle is then selectively closed off by an end piece on the pivoting arm.
This construction has several drawbacks. First, the cantilevered mounting of both the pivoting arm and the spindle to the fixed support arm results in a large moment being applied to the fixed support arm. Over time, this moment will cause the fixed support arm to rotate, and thus the whole roll holder will acquire a slanted appearance, or at a minimum, place additional stress on the mounting screws. Second, once in the opened position, the moveable arm must be manually held in place while the replacement roll is slid over the spindle. Third, in addition to lacking robustness, the non-weight balanced design is aesthetically displeasing.
Other attempts have incorporated a vertically hinged side plate (e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 4,381,083), required that the spindle assembly swivel outward or upward from a single mounting post (e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,665,738 and 2,517,809), or required rather cumbersome and bulky joints.
Thus, a need exists for an improved consumable roll holder having a weight-balanced structure with a moveable arm that allows for quick and easy roll replacement.